Musumeyaku in trousers

[yumenotatsu]

I've recently been thinking about trouser roles for musumeyaku, or whatever you call it. Because I've watched American Pie, and now I am watching Twelfth Night - actually, when I first heard Takarazuka did Twelfth Night, I was rather worried that they'd do an Oscar and give Viola to an otokoyaku. Happily they managed better than this

Comments

[bwinter]

I think it makes it easier to suspend disbelief that the crossdresser is getting away with it ;) Epiphany's a particularly good example, IMHO, with the dual Saeko role, and Yukariko.

[yumenotatsu]

Maybe... I still have problems with BeruBara, though (of course, Taatan!Andre might be problematic by herself...)

[new_vogue_ravyn]

I'd second Epiphany as beeing a good one, Saeko acts both roles really well so you can tell who's who. Even if it is giving the role to an otokoyaku which you didn't want. To me though, I can see their logic. Who better to play a woman pretending to be a man, than an actress who does it on a daily basis? ^_^

I like your idea of Andre secretly being a woman as well. It would make 'his' quiet mooning over Oscar and reluctance to tell her make that much more sense (aside from the social gap, remind me a bit of one of the characters in the Leviathan series I've been reading recently; a girl who pretends to be a boy to be an airman and ends up falling for an aristocrat who she fights alongside, but of course can't tell him...). However, Andre does join the regualar guards as one of the boys, I imagine it might be quite hard to keep it a secret among them. Communal changing rooms and all that. If they had them back then of course.

[yumenotatsu]

Who better to play a woman pretending to be a man, than an actress who does it on a daily basis? ^_^

Well, yes, but how then does she contrast with her fellow otokoyaku who are still supposed to be men? ;)

(and I'm rather glad they have musumeyaku Viola)

Hmmm, Leviathan? This plotline sounds interesting...
Actually, AFAIK, there always were women pretending to be men and serving as soldiers or sailors - we know of them so they were finally discovered, but since many of them did that for a number of years - either it was possible to keep things secret, or other soldiers covered for them (these women usually either followed a lover, or wanted to earn money).

[new_vogue_ravyn]

As far as I can see they speak a bit more naturally (i.e. in their own voice not so much their proper 'otokoyaku voice'). Aaaand that's about it. But Oscar was brought up like a boy, so she might well act just like the guys do in-universe.

So it's possible then. Now I want a girl!Andre fanfic. ;_;

Leviathan series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(Westerfeld_novel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behemoth_(Westerfeld_novel)
and Goliath, which has only just been released and I am itching to ge tmy hand son it.

[yumenotatsu]

... I think Viola here doesn't bind her breasts. Though I'm not sure.

Ah, I think I've read a book of his. Must look into this one.

*ponders* I don't think I can be serious enough for a serious fic on this or light-minded enough for a fluffy one. Though I do want to see it too... *looks for people to inflict this plotbunny on*

[flower_ballet]

Sleeping Moon by Yukigumi (Nemureru Tsuki, 2005) features Maachan playing both the lover of the main character and said female lover's male reincarnation. It's a nihonmono, so the differences in costume is not quite as striking as it would be in a western setting (no trousers ;_;), but she does manage both to bring across the masculinity of the character as well as the fact that this particular male was a woman in his former life. I can only recommend giving it a look!

[yumenotatsu]

Thanks, I'll keep this in mind - sounds interesting.